Container with hinged split cover



March 27, 1956 JONAS 2,739,729

CONTAINER WITH HINGED SPLIT COVER Filed July 3, 1953 United States Patent CONTAINER WITH HIN GED SPLIT COVER Irving Jonas, Rego Park, N. Y. Application July 3, 1953, Serial No. 365,807

1 Claim. (Cl. 220-29) This invention relates to garbage cans.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved garbage can or other container construction provided with an overlapping two-piece cover, these wing type covers swinging open automatically when the can is inverted and closing automatically when the can is up righted.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved garbage can construction including novel identification means.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a garbage can embodying the above objects which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts, is easy to use and efficient in operation.

For other objects and a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a garbage can embodying the features of the present invention and shown in a closed position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the can of Fig. 1 and showing the wing type covers in an open position;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the identification means carried by the can.

Referring now to the figures, represents a garbage can constructed of heavy duty galvanized sheet metal having a closed bottom and open at the top.

A semi-circular cover 11 is hingeably connected to one side of the body portion 10 by means of a hinge 12, the hinge 12 at the portion attached to the can 10 being arcuate to conform to the shape of the can. The cover 11 near its straight edge is provided with an opening which rotatably mounts a pin 13 (Fig. 2), a locking bar 14 being fixedly carried at the lower end of pin 13 on the under surface of cover 11 while the handle 15 is fixedly carried at the upper end of pin 13 on the upper surface of cover 11, the handle 15 being aligned longitudinally with the locking bar 14. A bracket 16 is suitably secured to the under surface of cover 11 extending parallel to the straight edge thereof and adapted to receive thereunder one end of the locking bar 14 when the latter is rotated to the position of Fig. 1.

A second semi-circular cover 17 is secured to the opposite side of the body portion 10 by means of a hinge 18 similar to hinge 12, the straight edge portion of cover 17 being integrally formed with an extension 18 adapted to fit under the straight edge of cover 11 when the covers are in the relationship of Fig. 1. A bracket 19 is secured to the undersurface or" cover 17 extending parallel to the extension 18', the bracket 19 being adapted to receive the other end of the locking bar 14 when the handle 2 15. is disposed .as shownin halves 11"and 17=together1 and toclose the can.

It will be noted that the locking bar 14-is of less length and may be rotated ineither directionlto 'elfect a-lockingzipositionr It will be than the brackets 16 and 19,

apparent that-when the handle 15- is disposed parallel to the straight edges of "the covers, the latter will be unlocked.

A handle-20"is-secured tothe can '10near the bottom thereof to facilitate the tipping and emptying of the contents. A curved carrying handle 21 is pivotally connected at its ends to the outside of the can 10 by means of the brackets 22 provided on each side, the brackets 22 having openings receiving the hooked shaped ends of the carrying handle 21.

As a means of identification, a bottom arcuate bar 23 is secured to the outside of can 10, the plate 23 along its upper edge and inner face being provided with a groove 24. A top plate 25 is suitably secured to the outside of can 10 above the bottom plate 23 and is provided with a track 26 along the inner lower edge thereof adapted to cooperate with track 24 to slidably receive a plurality of number plates 27, brightly colored and representing the house number. The ends of plate 25 are integrally formed with lugs 28 adapted to be bent downwardly (Fig. 1) whereby to abut the outer ends of the plates 27 and to retain the same securely intermediate plates 23 and 25. The plate 23 will bear the name of the owner as shown in the figures.

In operation, the carrying handle 21 is rotated downwardly to the position of Fig. 3 whereupon the handle 15 is rotated parallel to the straight edges of the covers, permitting the latter to be automatically swung open when the can is inverted by means of the tipping handle 20. When the can is uprighted, it will be apparent that the covers will automatically close upon upward movement of the carrying handle 21.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A container comprising a body portion, open at the top, a pair of substantially semi-circular covers hingeably connected to opposite sides of said body portion at the open top thereof and adapted to be brought together along their straight edges whereby to close the same, and means for releasably locking said covers in the closed position, said locking means comprising an elongated handle mounted on the top of one of said covers, a pin rotatably mounted in and projecting through said one of said covers near the center of the straight edge thereof, said handle being rigid with and at right angles to the upper end of said pin, a straight locking bar rigid with and at right angles to said pin on the lower end of the pin, said bar being parallel to and in a common plane with said handle, the junction of said bar with said pin being positioned intermediate the length of the bar, a bracket secured to the undersurface of each of said covers and having the intermediate portion thereof spaced from said undersurface and parallel therewith and with the straight edge of the cover, said bracket being adapted with said covers in closed position to receive the opposite ends of said bar when said handle is rotated at right angles to the straight edge of said one of said covers, a lifting handle secured to the outside of said body portion substantially across a vertical plane extending through the adjoining edges of said covers, and a carrying handle of substantially U-shape and pivotally secured to said body portion, the pivot points constituting an imaginary line extending substantially perpendicular to the adjoining edges of said Fig. 1, whereby to secure the covers, the said lifting handle being adapted to automatically open the said covers in their unloekedposition upon lifting the said can by gripping said lifting handle, and said carrying handle being adapted to automatically closesaid covers upon lifting said can by gripping said carrying handle, the latter abutting the said respective covers and turning the same into elosed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent 4 Jones June 18, 1901 Jones Feb. 4, 1902 Potts July 26, 1904 Schmidt June 22, 1909 Klister et al. Oct. 14, 1913 Rossworm et a1 Aug. 18, 1925 Zimmer May 2, 1939 Mainzer Feb. 11, 1941 FoREIGN PATENTS Norway Jan. 9, 1933 

